Carter-Stevens is Mass. Dairy Farm of the Year

Wednesday

Jul 23, 2014 at 9:46 PMJul 23, 2014 at 10:37 PM

By Bradford L. Miner CORRESPONDENT

BARRE — For the Stevens clan, dairy farming always has been and always will be a family affair.

The sign on the wagon at the entrance to the farm store and annex at 500 West St. says it all: "Making milk every day since 1938 – 22,265 days," suggesting hard-working family members have been too busy to update the sign since 1999.

On one of the warmest mornings this summer, family members took a break from chores to reflect on being named Massachusetts Dairy Farm of the Year.

It's never been about recognition, said Molly Stevens Dubois, explaining that Carter-Stevens Farm achievements are self-evident, whether it be milk production from the herd of 200 Holsteins or high-visibility events such as the Warrior Dash the farm hosted in June 2013.

Family members said the New England Green Pastures Committee award is not a first for the dairy farm. The previous honor was bestowed "sometime back in the '60s."

Masoud Hashemi, cooperative extension service educator at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, nominated the farm, saying it scored high marks on all Green Pastures criteria.

Mr. Hashemi said Stevens family members have applied tenets of Yankee ingenuity and frugality to all farm tasks, establishing a model for dairy farm viability.

William G. "Kip" Graham Jr., U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Farm Service Agency executive director for Worcester County, called the Carter-Stevens Farm "an excellent choice" for the award.

"They have the complete package. They have a high-quality herd, excellent pasture management and value added with the farm store and grill. They are economically savvy and environmentally sound. If you want to know how to do it right, they're the ones to watch," Mr. Graham said.

Mrs. Dubois said a third of the farm's income comes from milk production, milk that is processed by Mapleine Dairy in Amherst and sold at the store, and milk that is shipped wholesale to Garelick Farms.

A new offering at the store, she said, is raw milk, for which there has been strong customer demand.

"I grew up on raw milk myself, and with the safeguards and testing in place today, it's a healthy option many folks are looking for," she said.

Phil Stevens said Carter-Stevens is the largest dairy farm in the state in terms of pasture acreage, explaining the 200 acres of pasture support both the dairy cattle and the grass-fed beef cattle raised on the property.

"We operate the largest pasture-based farm in the state," Mr. Stevens said.

He said the recent move to expand the milking parlor to accommodate 20 cows at a time has shortened the time spent milking to two hours.

The cow that family members are most proud of is not a Holstein and bears the name Heavy Cream.

Weighing in at 10,000 pounds, the stone cow at the farm store entrance is built from fieldstone found at the farm. The stones used to create the sculpture have not been shaped in any way, and like all products at Carter-Stevens, are natural, Mr. Stevens said.

"People driving by may not stop and buy something at the store, but when they see the cow, you can be sure they'll stop and take a picture," he said.

Mr. Stevens said the farm store and the nearby wood-fired grill barbecue and sandwich service have greatly enhanced the economic viability of the farm, especially during periods when milk prices were historically low.

Citing the energy produced by a wind turbine on site and solar panels, he said electricity costs have been held in check.

The Green Pasture recognition dates back to 1947, when New Hampshire Gov. Charles Dale challenged his counterparts in the five other New England states to produce better pastures than the Granite State.

The boast launched a tradition that has involved hundreds of dairy farmers, farm families and agri-business leaders.

From its origin in promoting greener pastures and forage management, the New England Green Pastures program has evolved, with the dairy industry now to honor a dairy family from each of the New England states.

The New England Green Pastures program recognizes the six families at a banquet and program at the Big E celebrating the continued viability of the region's dairy industry.

Maintaining viability of the dairy industry throughout New England is the work of the New England Dairy Promotion Board.

Massachusetts has 153 dairy farms. In 1950, the state had 44 times that number.